One of my heros in physical computing is Remo Saraceni, best known for the Walking Piano (you know – the one Tom Hanks played in the movie Big)
Here’s a very cool movie about him, featuring his amazing decked-out 80s pimping pad:
He has a suitably retro site here: http://www.walkingpiano.com where you can check out some of his other great stuff like the Interactive Bottle Ball, Body Print and Jumping Fointains. Nice nice nice.
Norman McLaren, was a genius animator and film maker best known for his groundbreaking and minimalist work for the National Film Board of Canada in the 1940s, 50s and 60s. One of the most important names in the history of animation McLaren was a also the godfather of music visualization. He won an Oscar in 1953 for his bizarre short film Neighbours. But here we pay homage to some of his more abstract work, most made without the use of a camera.
Norman McLaren Dots (1940):
Norman McLaren – Boogie Doodle:
Norman McLaren Le Merle (The Blackbird):
And finally, here’s a cool film about McLaren’s working method of drawing sound and played on the Moviola, with the great title of Pen Point Percussion:
Initially having studied architecture, Maxim Zhestkov is a 24 year old Russian designer with more than a solid handle of minimal graphic design.
I fell in love with Simon Heijdens’ light work many years ago, so was happy to recently rediscover it.
Lightweeds are a living digital organism growing in an indoor space. Uniquely generated plant families grow up, move and behave closely depending on actual sunshine, rainfall and wind as measured live outside. On passing human traffic they bend, loose their seeds and pollenate to other walls throughout the space, to make up a constantly evolving wallpaper that reveals the character of the space and it’s use.
One of his first works I saw that brought me joy was Tree, shown above. Simple and beautiful.
‘I’m absolutely not interested in instant reaction and press button interaction. I don’t want to animate, I want to make a project that is animated through its surroundings’ Heijdens says.
A great documentary about the invention of electronica. Enjoy…
(Note: This is jusy a preview. You are going to have to download the free Veoh player to view the full three hour doc, but well worth it).
“As innovative as they are influential, Kraftwerk’s contribution to the development of electronic music since their formation in 1970 remains unsurpassed. Having inspired everyone from Bowie to Coldplay, Siouxsie to Radiohead, this bizarre collective have also proven partly responsible for entire genres to develop – electronica, techno and synth-pop to name but three.”
Been meaning to post this for a while. One of the better examples of augmented architecture I’ve seen. Art Direction by Daniel Rossa and production by urbanscreen.com
One of my favourite creative coders Robert Hodgin aka Flight 404 created this beautiful sound reactive piece in Processing.
Read more about it here: http://www.flight404.com/blog/?p=101 and some great screenshots here: http://www.flight404.com/blog/?p=106
Some of the best stuff I’ve seen in a while. New York artist Ebon Heath’s typographic mobiles.
On now at: Lucas Carrieri Art Gallery, Torstrasse 96, 10119 Berlin, Mitte
http://lucascarrieri.com/
King of Africa: King’s Car. By Heidi Chisholm (ex Daddy Buy Me a Pony).
Black and yellow print on white American Apparel, 100% pure cotton. Slick.
Available at http://www.kingofafrica.com.
Also check out the King of Africa blog.
This is totally wicked – wish i had thought of it.
Found on great berlin blog http://www.todayandtomorrow.net
